Program—Fall-Spring, 2017-2018
Some things about teaching you need to know and seriously think about before making a decision to commit to this type of program:
Except in rare cases people do not know exactly what they will be teaching or what level (freshmen, sophomore, junior, senior or graduate students) until AFTER they arrive! This is the Chinese way, NOT the American way and it can be enormously frustrating if you feel that you must prepare all your lectures before leaving for China. Everyone will teach some component of reading, writing, listening and speaking but beyond that you will be given very few details. The university class schedules for foreign teachers are put together immediately before or shortly after the foreign teachers arrive and there are often last-minute changes because of staffing issues. The CCC office will not know what classes you will be teaching or even what date/day your classes actually begin.
If you are teaching freshmen, your classes will not begin until two to four weeks after everyone else has started because the government requires all freshmen to participate in military training. You could conceivably have an entire month free, with pay and an apartment. Some people thrive in this unstructured environment and others seem to melt down when there is NO schedule.
- Program overview
- Qualifications
- You should be under 60 at the time of your application.
- Minimum BA/BS degree from a good four year, fully accredited university/college, with at least a 3.0 GPA. Unless you are a professional teacher you need to enroll in a recognized TEFL/TESL online or on-site course with a minimum of 60 hours of course work. Please refer to the Bridge Online TEFL program.
- All academic and professional backgrounds will be considered.
- Couples, MA, PhD, and professionals are strongly encouraged to apply.
- Excellent mental and physical health, flexibility, humor and dedication. These are challenging and competitive positions.
- No Mandarin is necessary. Most of your students can speak some English and many will be nearly fluent.
- What CCC provides
- August Training Program
- What Chinese institutions provide
- Monthly stipend of 5,000-10,000 RMB (renminbi) which will more than cover living expenses and leave you plenty of money for travel. Salary and benefits are commensurate with your academic background.
- Free housing in the foreign teacher complex or an apartment/house off campus. You will have a private room, sometimes in a suite, or your own apartment with private bathroom or house. There are many options today for housing in China.
- A month-long winter vacation with pay in January and/or February!
- Basic medical care equivalent to the care Chinese professors and staff receive.
- Our schools reimburse most of international and domestic airfare costs second semester.
- Fees and expenses
- application
- university placement
- contract negotiation
- some teaching/orientation materials
- assistance with all forms including Chinese work visa and physical exam forms --- both enormously difficult to deal with
- airport pick-up and drop-off
- Applying
Universities in China are seeking US college graduates, MAs, PhDs, and professionals for the academic year (August-July).
You will be asked to give classes in spoken English, focusing on reading, writing, listening and speaking skills, as well as American/British literature, history, culture and occasionally specialized areas such as business, economics, IT, and law, for those who qualify. As with teaching positions in the US, you need to put together lesson plans, take attendance, correct homework and occasionally host "English corners" and help with departmental language-tape recordings. Most of our participants teach 16 to 20 hours per week. You do not need to know any Mandarin to apply. In many cases the curriculum will be left completely up to you. Since 1991, CCC has placed over 750 people in Shanghai, Lijiang, Beijing, Tianjin, Hefei, Ma’anshan, Pengshan, Fuzhou, Chengdu, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Kunming, Wanzhou, Putian and Guangzhou as well as many other cities.
Once accepted by CCC you are guaranteed a good placement at a Chinese university/college. We will confirm your university placement by Spring.
GRADUATING SENIORS (GS) AND RECENT COLLEGE GRADUATES (RCGs): We anticipate having 4 or 5 positions available for GS and RCGs so apply early!
Below are the TEFL/TESL (Teaching English as a Foreign/Second Language) requirements for non- professional teachers such as graduating seniors and recent college graduates who want to teach English at a Chinese university. We require that all of our non-professional teacher applicants, and of course anyone who would like to, sign up for a Bridge Linguatec online TEFL course. 60 hours is the international standard. Course material is offered in a sequential manner so it will take a few months to finish and get your certificate which is due in our office by June 15. This will give you an enormous boost in your ability to be an effective teacher.
Chinese Government 7 Day TESL Course
Offered in Shanghai or Beijing, as well as other cities, this course will increase your eligibility for a Z/work visa if you do not have two bona fide years of teaching. Please visit their website: ChinaJob.com
We provide placement at a university/college, some teaching and orientation materials, and assistance with all official forms.
We are a small, family-run placement and training organization that does everything possible to address the needs and requests of our applicants. We help you arrange travel and visas.
Airfare is not covered in our fees. This is a fabulous way to live in China, travel throughout Asia, learn a lot about teaching and about yourself at an incredibly modest cost.
Unless you are a professional teacher with a minimum of two years of teaching, you must attend a 7 day TESL and orientation class administered by the Chinese government in Beijing or Shanghai. See the official TEFL in China website. Please see website for specific information on this course, costs, locations etc. CCC has absolutely no administrative control over this course so it will be up to you to register etc. but we will be able to assist you. Our teachers have liked the course and felt that it was extremely useful and a great way to connect with other teachers who will be teaching all over China.
You are responsible for your own meals, which are incredibly inexpensive.
You earn very little money by U.S. standards, but the pay is excellent by Chinese standards. People who teach in China do so for the incredible teaching and travel experience, not for financial gain.
Program fees have been established to cover all expenses and administrative costs including staff time, program advertising/marketing, office expenses, and staff China visits, etc.
Procedure for program fee payments:
There is a $150 application processing fee for you and any spouse or partner going with you, even if they're not teaching. Program fees below do not include this fee. You may pay this application fee either by making out a check to the Colorado China Council or through PayPal. Within five days of being accepted into the program as stated in the official CCC letter, you will need to make the initial payment. CCC will send you a PayPal invoice for this initial payment.
How much your initial payment and total payment will be depends on when you submit your application:
| Application submission date | Initial payment | Second payment |
|---|---|---|
| Before February 1, 2017 | $450 | $350 |
| February 2-April 30, 2017 | $550 | $450 |
| May 1-July 31, 2017 | $650 | $550 |
Fees cover:
The above fees do not cover airfare or visa fees of $190 (subject to change).
After one year of teaching in China, if you want to apply for a second year at a different university the CCC fee for placement, contract negotiation, visa assistance and back-up support is $800.
If you want to continue to teach at your same university, you can negotiate your contract yourself.
Additional expenses not covered by program fee:
Airfare guesstimate: $1,350—one-way
The cost above is a guesstimate of one-way airfare from your US city based on airfares from 2016. This amount also varies based on your individual itinerary and fluctuating airfare costs.
Your Chinese university will reimburse you for all or most of your international and domestic travel to and from the school. You must keep receipts. Reimbursements usually occur in late spring
The Chinese government requires foreign teachers to have an extensive physical examination, with specific tests, prior to departure for China and you will probably be re-tested in China. We will send you the official form required by the Chinese government. You will also want to discuss with your doctor what shots and/or vaccinations you may want though at the present time NONE are required for China
Bad check or insufficient funds charge: $50
If you meet the above qualifications please fill out the online application form, after which you will be directed to pay a $150 non-refundable application-processing fee via PayPal.
Spending a year teaching in China is not a decision to be made lightly. It will be a very difficult, challenging and occasionally frustrating year, but it can also be one of the most interesting, and memorable years of your life. Seriously consider the emotional, physical and financial aspects before you make a commitment. If you have questions, please call (303) 443-1108 and speak with Alice Renouf, or send her a message.